Budget Hotels in Cape Town

Where: South AfricaWhat to do: A visit to Cape Town must include a hike to the top of the iconic Table Mountain. Discover the history of Cape Town by visiting Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was locked up during the days of Apartheid in the country. The Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens are a massive expanse of 52,800 sq km, offering some of the most beautiful collections of flora and fauna. Don't forget to get a pint of crafted beer at Woodstock, which is now home to Cape Town's best micro-breweries.

As a 22-year-old American girl, I had my hesitations moving to Cape Town, South Africa alone. This is why I made the conscious decision to live in a 17-bedroom house where people were always coming and going. Within the span of four months, I lived with 28 strangers--all from different countries, cultures, religions and socio-economic backgrounds. But while my relationship with each of these strangers was unique and fulfilling, one relationship during my time in Cape Town rose above all the rest.One of my 28 housemates was James, a dashing South African model with rock hard abs and a perfect jaw line. While James was kindhearted and sincere in many ways, he was what one might call a proper Fuckboy (see Hey Violet's "Fuqboi" for reference). He was always talking to multiple girls on Tinder and asking them on dates on different days of the week. One of the girls James #swipedright was Elizabeth.When James asked Elizabeth to come to our house-party one Saturday night I thought it was going to be the usual routine. She would come over, he would spend the whole night telling her how beautiful she is and touching her legs, and ultimately they would sleep together. But from the moment I met Elizabeth I knew it wasn't going to be the same.A law student from England studying abroad in Cape Town, Elizabeth was smart and interesting. While I began talking to her with the intension of being James' wing-woman, before I knew it we had been talking for hours and James was nowhere to be seen. From that night on, Elizabeth and I were inseparable. Sharing a passion for being active, we were constantly going on hikes together and exploring waterfalls. She gave me an appreciation for British Gin, and I showed her what a proper American Thanksgiving dinner looked like. When we went out, guys would ask us if we were a couple and we would just laugh and nod because we would rather spend the limited time we had together rather than sleeping with guys we'd never see again. Before long, people wondered if we were twins separated at birth and raised in different countries--Parent Trap style--because we had so much in common and were already so close. Honestly, it could be true...Elizabeth is the Annie James to my Hallie Parker. All of my favorite memories from Cape Town are with Elizabeth. Belting Adele's "One and Only" at the tops of our lungs in the car. Smoking joints in hidden caves. Picnicking in the Botanical Gardens as a South African pop star who neither of us have ever heard of performed. Sharing a bottle of wine on Signal Hill watching the sun set over the ocean. Elizabeth and James never hooked up. But thanks to Tinder, I met my best friend in Cape Town.Elizabeth and I still talk every day. But with her in London and me in New York, it is unclear when we will ever seen each other again. If this contest isn't fate, then I don't know what is.

Another cool way of exploring the city is on Cape Town City Tour buses. You can easily get a pass and hop in and hop off at any place on the route. I went to Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden. The garden has some amazing walks and there are different flowers in different parts. One can find the Protea flowers (National Flower of South Africa) in abundance here. The highlight is of course the 100 meter Canopy Walk on a bridge in midst of the garden.

Exploring Cape Town on foot can lead you to interesting places and events. Old Biscuit Mill for example. This Saturday market is a melting pot of cuisines, souvenirs and people. Or the Cape City Walk Tours, which start from Greenmarket Square on Bree Street. I was just in time for the tour of Bo-Kaap. The most striking and unique thing about the Bo-Kaap area is the color of the houses there – blue, orange, yellow, green, pink etc – and each color represents a profession which the inhabitants were good at.

Day one was a day full of activity. I rented my car – a Volkswagen Vivo from Avis Rent a Car (in case your driving license is not in English, you will need to get an International License). Was surprised to see that the car was in such fantastic condition. My first stop was Delta Airstip, 50 kilometers north of the city for my first Skydiving experience. I went with Skydive Cape Town, who seemed very professional. The beauty of this jump is that landscape – the Atlantic coastline, the plains, the Table Mountain of Cape Town which appears like a tiny Noah’s Arc. My instructor Rene (who was from Germany) taught me how to pull off a roller coaster in the air.

The best city in South Africa. Lovely landscape with an ocean at the front of our hotel and mountains at the back. Very lively city and tourist friendly. Visited the table bay mountain which stands strong in Capetown. The top of the mountain is always covered with clouds and whenever you can see the top, its considered to be your lucky day as per the locals. Saw the soccer stadium which hosted the FIFA World Cup final in the year 2010. Whenever you walked out near the bay, you could spot some sea lions at the dock preying on fish and other sea creatures. Visited the Cape of good hope, where the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean collide. You could clearly spot the collision as both the water bodies had different shades of blue. Thoroughly enjoyed their local food at our hotel which was really well located in the city. Lastly, went for whale watching via a small cruise-boat. Spotted many dolphins and a whale during the tour which amazed me how big was the whale.

This is by far one of my favorite destinations from the various places I’ve visited. Lined with beaches through its entire stretch and lots of things to do around here, you can easily spend a week here. The views from the Table Mountain are breath-taking & so are its beaches with clear blue waters. If you’re on a road-trip like we were, you can just take a drive through the city & take in the scenic beauty.

Cape town is the second most populated city in South Africa. It not only provides sight-seeing and beaches, but also is also famous for shopping, night clubs, restaurants and various aspects of urban life that are missing in the rest of the country. It has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world and was voted one of the the most popular tourist destination.

Cape Town offered me an eclectic mix of cuisines, along with the choice of rich and traditional flavours brought about by the indigenous food of South Africa. From having the typical family meal- 'pap' to dishes like Malva pudding, Sosaties skewers, Potjiekos stew and Biltong dried meat, the taste of South African cuisine, to me, seemed a diverse coalition of its colonial and historical flavours! However, I equally relished the fine-dines along Long Street, which gave me the true cosmopolitan feeling of Cape Town, varying from Mexican, to Italian, to Chinese cuisine!